TA.  System 


ESP  ONSIBILI  TIES 
OF  THE 

SALES  MANAGER 


TIONAl  SALESMEN’S  TRAINING  ASSOCIATION 

CHICAGO,  ILL  , U.  S.  A« 


COPYRIGHTED  1920 
BY  THE 

NATIONAL  SALESMEN’S  TRAINING  ASSOCIATION 


Copyright,  1920,  in  Great  Britain,  her  Colonies,  and  in  the  International  Copy- 
right Union,  comprising  Belgium,  Denmark,  France,  Haiti,  Italy,  Japan,  Liberia, 
Luxemberg,  Monaco,  Spain,  Portugal,  Norway,  Sweden,  Switzerland  and  Tunis, 
Mexico  and  the  South  American  Republics.  All  Rights  Reserved. 


452 

V,\ 


FOREWORD 


I 


"S  there  a Sales  Manager  who  is  ever  satisfied  with  the  results 
secured  by  his  salesmen?  I will  venture  to  answer  in  the 
negative.  He  may  be  pleased — but  satisfied — never.  His 

dreams,  his  ambition,  his  life  work  is  that  of  getting  more  business, 
then  more  business  and  then  breaking  all  past  records.  After  he 
has  done  that,  he  starts  in  again  to  break  the  record-breaking 
record. 

Presuming  he  is  successful,  analysis  will  show  that  he  gets  re- 
sults by  following  well-defined  principles,  or  what  might  be  called 
si  the  fundamentals  of  successful  Sales  Management.  The  success- 
ful Sales  Manager  is  a Super-Salesman  because  he  gets  collectively 
what  the  salesman  gets  individually.  He  is  a past-master  in  human 
o engineering  because  he  wins  his  laurels  sheerly  by  his  skill  in  dealing 
with  the  human  element. 

j Successful  Sales  Management  is  not  an  accident.  No  man  is 
born  to  the  task.  Dame  Fortune  leaves  the  business  of  selling 
severely  alone.  To  trust  to  any  other  element  than  well-laid  plans' ^ 
Vis  not  likely  to  be  conducive  to  results.  It  is  clearly  recognized,^ 
* today  that  there  is  just  as  much  science  to  Sales  Management  as-' 

_ there  is  to  salesmanship. 

The  purpose  of  these  eight  books  on  Sales  Management, 

A which  constitute  a complete  Course  on  the  subject,  is  to  give  every 
^ Sales  Manager  and  every  salesman  who  has  aspirations  to  a mana- 
gerial berth,  a system  of  Sales  Management  that  is  in  keeping  with 
the  best  plans  and  practices  of  the  most  successful  Sales  Managers 
rin  the  country. 

Probably  no  other  Institution  in  the  world  has  such  unique 
facilities  for  presenting  a Course  of  this  kind  as  the  National 

i 

cJ 


V 


£\  ; 

A.‘  ( 


4 N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


Salesmen's  Training  Association.  In  sympathy  with  the  mission 
of  the  Association,  are  many  Sales  Managers  and  Executives  who 
willingly  laid  bare  the  methods  by  which  they  attained  success. 
With  the  opportunity  to  make  a careful  analysis  of  these  success- 
ful methods  plus  the  knowledge,  wisdom  and  experience  of  the 
Sales  Executives  at  the  head  of  the  Association,  a greater  degree  * 
of  efficiency  can  be  the  only  result  for  any  Sales  Manager  who  will 
assimilate  the  knowledge  to  be  gained  from  this  Course. 

The  amount  of  good  you  get  from  this  course  depends  greatly 
on  how  much  you  put  into  the  study  of  it.  A cursory  examination 
cannot  possibly  bring  you  the  results  that  systematic  study  will. 

If  you  just  touch  the  high  lights,  you  will  be  overlooking  points, 
ideas  or  suggestions  that  may  be  just  the  thing  you  need  to  know 
and  do,  to  get  the  most  from  your  salesmen. 

No  Sales  Manager  can  afford  to  overlook  any  possible  point 
that  may  give  him  some  advantage  over  his  competitor  or  enable 
him  to  secure  better  results  from  his  salesmen.  Competition  in 
practically  every  line  is  so  keen  that  nothing  that  tends  to  increased 
personal  efficiency  or  efficiency  of  the  selling  force  can  be  passed 
by  with  impunity.  In  this  respect,  it  has  long  been  apparent  to 
the  Association,  coming  in  contact  as  it  regularly  does  with  Sales 
Managers  all  over  the  Country,  that  there  was  a big  need  for  a 
standardized  text  or  course  that  would  enable  Sales  Managers  and  < 
ambitious  salesmen  to  become  familiar  with  the  proved  and  tested 
plans  as  formulated  and  successfully  followed  out  by  men  who  are 
rated  both  as  authorities  and  leaders  in  the  Sales  Managerial  field. 

THE  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT, 
which  is  now  in  your  hands,  offers  you  knowledge  that  cannot 
be  measured  from  a dollar  standpoint.  It  is  not  the  work  of  one 
man  who  has  succeeded  as  a Sales  Manager.  It  is  not  simply  a 
Course  written  around  the  subject  of  Sales  Management.  Actually 
it  is  the  ideas,  plans,  practices  and  methods — in  composite  form — 
of  those  used^by  a large  number  of  leading  Sales  Managers. 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  5 

From  a survey  of  Sales  Management  made  by  the  Association, 
a vast  amount  of  data  was  gathered  and  studied.  Basic  or  funda- 
mental rules  were  the  object  of  this  research.  The  result,  as  set 
before  you  in  this  Course,  is  an  authoritative  and  standardized  system 
of  Sales  Management.  No  detail  has  been  overlooked  that  has  any 
» bearing  whatever  on  the  subject. 

The  Association  has  unlimited  faith  in  the  results  to  be  secured 
from  a careful  study  of  this  Course.  It  has  been  built  up  and 
around  only  those  methods  that  have  been  tried,  tested  and  found 
not  wanting.  It  represents  the  combined  experience  of  Sales 
Managers  who  have  won  their  laurels.  It  offers  you  knowledge, 
that  if  put  into  practice,  will  get  you  results  and  save  you  years 
in  costly  experimentation. 

Inasmuch  as  Sales  Managers  are  to  a great  extent  recruited 
from  the  ranks  of  Salesmen,  this  course  will  give  the  potential 
Sales  Manager  a clear  and  comprehensive  view  of  the  duties  of  a 
Sales  Manager.  Not  only  that,  but  it  will  teach  him  how  to  get 
results  and  get  them  quickly,  It  is  a charted  course  that  will  steer 
him  safely  and  surely  to  that  ultimate  goal  of  “maximum  results.” 

It  took  nearly  two  years  to  survey  and  secure  the  Sales  Man- 
agerial data  around  which  this  Course  was  written.  You  can  read 
through  it  in  possibly  four  hours.  But  you  CAN'T  STUDY  IT 
i in  that  period  of  time.  Every  paragraph  needs  your  close  atten- 
tion; needs  self-analysis.  You  must  compare  your  present  methods 
with  those  set  forth  in  this  text.  Only  then  can  you  make  the 
. comparison  that  will  enable  you  to  see  wherein  your  methods 
differ  from  those  proved  plans  on  which  this  Course  is  founded. 

To  enable  you  to  get  every  ounce  of  good  from  this  Course, 
we  have  devised  a SELF-QUIZ  system  that  you  must  answer,  at 
least,  to  yourself.  If  you  overlook  this  Self-Analysis,  simple  as 
some  of  the  questions  may  seem,  you  are  side-stepping  efficiency 
and  refusing  to  compare  your  methods  with  those  that  have  helped 
place  a number  of  men  in  the  first  flight  of  Sales  Managers.  They 


6 N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


have  won  their  spurs  because  of  the  methods  they  have  found, 
through  years  of  experience,  to  be  the  ONE  BEST  WAY.  These 
methods  are  now  recognized  as  fundamental  and,  representing  as 
they  do  the  foundations  on  which  some  remarkable  records  have 
been  built,  it  is  assumed  that  you  will  pay  strict  attention  to  the 
SELF-QUIZ  system.  It  is  the  only  way  in  which  you  can  derive 
the  maximum  amount  of  results. 

In  short,  the  knowledge  to  be  gained  from  this  Course  will 
substitute  sure-fire  tactics  in  place  of  experiment  and  guessing. 
It  will  replace  haphazard  methods  with  proved  plans  and  give  you 
a clear  and  practical  conception  of  the  entire  field  of  Sales  Manage- 
ment. 

It  has  been  the  aim  of  the  Association  to  place  this  Course  in 
the  hands  of  Sales  Managers  and  others  at  a minimum  of  cost. 
For  that  reason,  it  has  been  boiled  down  to  actual  facts;  expensive 
paper  and  bindings  have  been  discarded  in  favor  of  economical 
stock  without,  however,  sacrificing  neatness.  I believe  you  will 
appreciate  the  compact  and  handy  size  of  these  books  just  as  surely 
as  you  will  appreciate  the  knowledge  you  will  gain  from  the  study 
of  their  contents. 

Don’t  read  these  books — study  them.  It  will  prove  an  invest- 
ment of  time  you  will  always  look  back  to  with  more  than  an 
ordinary  degree  of  pleasure,  to  say  nothing  about  profit. 

Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 

J.  E.  Greenslade,  President, 
NATIONAL  SALESMEN’S  TRAINING  ASS’N. 


INTRODUCTION 

, TN  presenting  the  N.  S.  T.  A.  System  of  Sales  Management  for 
I the  consideration  of  those  who  will  find  it  beneficial  to  know, 
in  a complete  manner,  the  principles  and  practices  of  Scien- 
tific Management  as  it  pertains  to  the  Sales  Manager,  the  Sales 
Force,  and  the  Territory,  we  feel  confident  that  this  set  of  lessons 
is  by  far  the  most  up-to-date  and  valuable  exposition  that  has  so 
far  been  produced. 

There  has  long  been  a need  for  the  condensed,  practical  knowl- 
edge of  Sales  Management  that  these  brochures  contain.  Our 
object  has  been  to  include,  under  definite  and  logical  classifications, 
the  largest  possible  number  of  viewpoints,  and  to  show  the  methods 
that  are  used  by  the  foremost  Sales  Managers  of  this  and  other 
countries.  In  this  we  believe  we  have  been  unusually  successful. 

The  individual  Sales  Manager  will  be  able  to  obtain  from  this 
System  the  vital  facts  that  will  enable  him  to  increase  the  efficiency 
of  himself  and  the  salesmen  he  directs.  If  the  suggestions  and  prin- 
ciples outlined  in  this  System  are  given  the  consideration  they 
, deserve,  the  result  will  be  the  elimination  of  all  friction  between  the 
Sales  Manager,  his  Superior  Officers  and  his  Subordinates. 

Our  purpose,  it  will  be  seen,  is  a big  one.  But  a careful  perusal 
, of  this  Course  will  convince  the  unprejudiced  mind  that  the  subject 
has  been  handled  in  a masterly  manner  that  commands  respect, 
and  that  the  material  therein  has  been  so  ably  presented  as  to 
merit  the  consideration  of  Sales  Managers  and  Salesmen  who  are 
on  the  lookout  for  progressive  ideas  and  methods. 

It  is  possible  to  obtain  a number  of  good  books  on  Sales  Man- 
agement, but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  these  books  were  written 
from  an  individual  point  of  view,  and  can  in  no  sense  be  considered 

7 


8 N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 

as^compilations  of  the  best  ideas  and  methods  on  this  subject. 

The  N.  S.  T.  A.  System  of  Sales  Management,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  much  more  than  a mere  text.  It  contains  much  more  than 
can  be  found  in  a large  number  of  books  on  Sales  Management; 
and,  at  the  same  time,  contains  hundreds  of  new,  workable  ideas 
and  valuable  suggestions  for  organizing  the  Sales  Department, 
selecting  and  training  salesmen,  planning  the  sales  campaign, 
stimulating  the  salesmen,  sales  office  management,  and  gives 
methods  that  have  been  found  efficacious  in  co-operating  with  the 
salesmen  when  in  the  field. 

To  the  Sales  Manager  at  his  desk,  this  Course  brings  a large 
number  of  refreshing  viewpoints  and  intensely  practical  methods 
that  he  can  turn  into  dollars  of  profit  for  his  firm.  It  is  our  candid 
opinion,  which  is  supported  by  those  who  are  thoroughly  conver- 
sant with  the  best  ideas  extant  along  Sales  Management  lines, 
that  the  material  included  in  this  Course  is  more  complete  than 
has  thus  far  been  available  to  Sales  Managers,  and  to  Salesmen  who 
look  forward  to  some  day  filling  executive  selling  positions. 

We  feel  that  a consideration  of  the  different  sections  of  this 
System  will  convince  “the  man  on  the  job”  that  these  handy 
brochures  will  be  a reference  work  that  possesses  both  practical 
utility  and  inspirational  value. 

One  feature  that  is  contained  in  the  N.  S.  T.  A.  System  of 
Sales  Management,  which  will  prove  of  particular  advantage  to  the 
Sales  Manager  whose  time  is  limited,  is  the  Self-Quiz  and  Self- 
Analysis  tests,  which  are  given  at  the  end  of  each  brochure. 

Men  of  intellect,  with  either  an  intuitive  or  acquired  knowledge 
of  human  nature,  have  always  made  use  of  questions  to  bring  out 
vital  points,  and  it  is  admitted  that  one  of  the  best  ways  of  impress- 
ing upon  the  mind  the  things  we  want  to  remember  is  to  question 
ourselves  concerning  them. 

A direct  statement  may  be  made  and  the  point  missed  by  the 
hearer  or  reader.  This  is  not  equally  true  when  one  hears  or  reads  a 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  9 

question.  A statement  is  often  a "sop”  to  the  mind.  A question, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  a "challenge”  that  quickens  the  flow  of  men- 
tal images;  that  brings  up  from  the  memory  ideas  and  facts  that 
have  been  stored  there  by  previous  observation,  study  and  exper- 
ience; and  that  stimulates  creative  imagination. 

When  a thinking  man  reads  a book,  he  stops  at  the  end  of 
each  paragraph,  chapter,  or  at  the  end  of  the  book,  to  think  over 
what  he  has  read.  His  thoughts  assume  a questioning  form  that 
enables  him  to  get  the  real  "meat”  of  the  subject.  This  is  the 
common  experience  of  those  who  have  done  much  reading  along 
practical  lines.  It  is  especially  necessary,  when  one  is  reading 
for  information  or  for  knowledge.  The  student  of  this  System  of 
Sales  Management  will  find  these  Self-Quizzes  and  Self-Analysis 
questions  make  it  a comparatively  easy  matter  to  assimilate  the 
thousands  of  ideas,  facts,  and  suggestions  that  are  contained  in 
this  Course. 

We  believe  this  feature  is  one  that  will  be  especially  appreciated 
by  the  busy  man  who  purchases  this  Course,  and  that  it  will  add  to 
its  utility  as  a reference  work  for  Sales  Managers,  Salesmen,  and 
Business  Executives.  It  will  be  found  a most  convenient  and  effi- 
cient way  of  reviewing  the  matter  contained  in  the  brochures, 
and  will  help  the  reader  to  refresh  his  mind  on  any  particular 
phase  of  Sales  Management  he  has  before  him  for  consideration. 

For  instance,  should  a Sales  Manager  meet  with  a problem  as 
to  the  best  methods  of  stimulating  his  salesmen  to  increase  their 
activity,  he  can  take  the  brochure,  “Stimulating  the  Salesmen,” 
and  read  the  Self-Quiz  and  Self-Analysis  tests,  with  certainty  that 
he  will  be  able  to  find  one  or  more  practical  suggestions,  from  the 
Quizzes  themselves,  that  will  give  him  a definite  start  toward  the 
solution  of  his  problem. 

It  will  particularly  be  profitable  to  become  conversant  with 
the  titles  of  these  brochures,  to  the  end  that  the  proper  brochure 
may  be  selected  when  the  Sales  Manager  wants  definite  informa- 


10  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


tion  quickly;  for  the  N.  S.  T.  A.  System  of  Sales  Management, 
which  consists  of  carefully  written  viewpoints  and  suggestions,  and 
a complete  set  of  forty-eight  Self-Analysis  and  Self-Quiz  tests, 
for  each  of  the  eight  booklets,  is  a storehouse  of  useful  knowledge 
that  cannot  be  secured  without  great  expense  and  exhaustive 
research  by  the  Sales  Manager  on  the  job. 

If  this  text-work  on  Sales  Management  accomplishes  only  a 
small  part  of  what  it  is  its  purpose  to  accomplish,  i.  e.,  to  raise  the 
standard  of  Sales,  Salesmen,  and  Sales  Office  Methods,  we  shall 
feel  fully  compensated  for  the  hard  work  that  was  necessary  proper- 
ly to  compile  the  many  valuable  principles  and  practices  that  are 
presented  herein. 

We  know  that  you  will  find  these  brochures  valuable  in  your 
daily  work,  and  that  they  will  aid  you  in  selecting  and  inspiring 
your  salesmen,  and  will  lessen  the  amount  of  effort  you  as  a Sales 
Manager  must  put  forth  to  accomplish  the  best  possible  results  in 
the  easiest,  quickest,  and  most  economical  way. 


CONTENTS 

SALES  MANAGEMENT 

Book 

1—  RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES-MANAGER 

What  a Sales  Manager  Should  Know  About  His  Work. 
The  Sales  Manager’s  Attitude  Toward  His  Men. 

The  Relation  of  the  Sales  Manager  to  His  Firm. 
Co-operation  With  Established  House  Policy. 
Co-operation  With  General  Manager  and  Staff. 
Co-operation  With  Department  Heads. 

Co-operation  With  Advertising  Department. 
Co-operation  With  the  Service  Department. 
Co-operation  With  Credit  Department. 
Co-operation  With  Collection  Department. 
Co-operation  With  Manufacturing  Division. 
Co-operation  With  Sales  Office  Employes. 

Co-operation  With  Shipping  and  Traffic  Department. 

2—  ORGANIZING  THE  SALES  DEPARTMENT 

Building  the  Sales  Department. 

Building  a Strong  Sales  Force. 

Standard  For  Hiring  Salesmen. 

Securing  New  Salesmen. 

By  Advertising. 

Through  Salesmanship  Schools. 

By  Field  Organizers. 

Through  Your  Own  Salesmen. 

Office  and  Factory  Employes. 

Securing  Salesmen  Through  Customers. 

The  Spare-Time  Salesmen. 

Organizing  Through  Colleges. 

Possibilities  The  Sales  Manager  Meets 
Discovering  Latent  Abilities. 

Selecting  Branch  Managers. 

The  Sales  Manager  As  a Student  of  Human  Nature. 
Building  Up  a Sales  Manual. 

3—  SELECTING  THE  SALESMEN 

Methods  of  Selecting  Salesmen. 

Qualities  To  Look  For  In  Salesmen. 

By  Application. 

By  Character. 

By  Psychological  Test. 

By  Training. 

By  Personality. 

By  Adaptability. 

By  Expression. 

By  Casual  Talk. 

By  Temperament. 

By  Reputation. 


11 


12  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


By  Try-Out  Method. 

By  Experience. 

By  Testimonial. 

By  Recommendation. 

By  Observation. 

A Clearing  House  For  Salesmen’s  Ideas. 

Soliciting  Suggestions  From  Sales  Force. 

4. — TRAINING  THE  SALESMEN 

The  Importance  of  Training. 

Training  Salesmen  To  Sell  Your  Product. 
Salesmanship  Schools. 

Salesmanship  Training  Classes. 

Training  By  Senior  Salesmen. 

House  Policy  and  History. 

Technical  Points  of  the  Goods. 

Methods  For  Selling  the  Goods. 

Sizing-Up  Prospective  Customers. 

How  To  Appeal  to  Buying  Motives. 

Planning  the  Sales  Talk. 

The  Sale  Itself. 

Demonstration  Sales  By  Salesmen. 

Talks  by  Department  Heads. 

Developing  Comage  and  Confidence. 

6— PLANNING  THE  SALES  CAMPAIGN 

Sales,  The  Prime  Object  of  Sales  Management 
Investigation  Into  Sales  Possibilities. 

Increasing  Your  Per  Capita  Sales. 

Practical  Methods  of  Distribution. 

Potential  Uses  of  the  Product. 

Methods  of  Laying  Out  Territories. 

Charting  the  Possible  Sales  Field. 

Taking  Reasonable  Chances  After  Investigation. 
Assuming  % Responsibility.^ 

When  and  How  To  Use  Authority. 

Drawing  Plans  From  Your  Organization. 

Knowing  Extent  and  Nature  of  Competition. 
Building  The  Campaign  On  Proved  Experience. 
Backing  Up  the  Sales  Campaign. 

Planning  Practical  Equipment  For  Salesmen. 
Outlining  Successive  Steps  In  a Campaign. 
Scheduling  the  Trenches  to  Be  Taken. 

The  Barrage  Fire  of  Advance  Literature. 

0— STIMULATING  THE  SALESMEN 

Leading  vs.  Driving  Salesmen. 

Administering  Mental  Stimulus. 

Personal  Interest  and  Encouragement. 

Taking  a Heart  Interest  In  Salesmen. 

Stimulation  Through  Pleasant  Home  Conditions. 
Stimulation  Through  Sense  of  Ownership. 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  13 


Square-Deal  Stimulation. 

Sales  Conventions. 

Weekly  or  Monthly  Meetings. 

Working  By  Schedule — Systematic  Use  of  Time. 
Use  of  Quota  In  Sales  Work. 

Stimulating  Salesmen  Through  The  Bonus  Plan. 
Records  of  Sales  and  of  Salesmen. 

Holding  Up  the  Pace-Setters. 

Bringing  Out  Positive  Points  of  the  Product. 

We,  Ours,  Us  Versus  I,  Mine,  Me. 

7—  SALES  OFFICE  MANAGEMENT 

Watching  Costs,  Leaks  and  Expenses. 

Classifying  Ideas  as  Well  as  Orders. 

Graphic  Charts  of  Sales. 

Placing  Routine  Upon  Subordinates. 

Keeping  a Daily  Record  of  Sales. 

General  Correspondence  with  Salesmen. 
Expediting  Salesmen’s  Orders. 

The  Route  List  and  Salesman’s  Mail. 

Charting  The  Salesmen’s  Responsibilities. 
Co-operation  of  Sales  Office  With  Sales  Force. 
Treatment  of  Customers  by  House  Employes. 
Handling  Complaints  and  Making  Adjustments. 
Making  Central  Office  a Model  For  Branches. 
Office  Systems  and  Equipment. 

Personal  Letters  to  Salesmen. 

Circular-Letter  Instructions. 

Sales  Bulletins  and  House  Organs. 

Planning  the  Day’s  Work. 

Instructions  in  the  Use  of  Forms,  Reports,  Etc. 
The  Sales  Manager’s  Duty  to  His  Salesmen. 

8—  CO-OPERATING  WITH  THE  SALESMEN 

Getting  Leads  and  Prospects  for  Salesmen. 

House  Control  of  Territory. 

Featuring  the  Personality  of  Management. 

The  Use  of  Demonstrators. 

Through  Illustrated  Lectures. 

Moving  Picture  Advertising. 

Departmental  Service  for  Customers. 

Keeping  the  Product  Ahead  of  Competition. 

The  Value  of  Well-Chosen  News  Items. 
Commendatory  Editorial  Write-Ups. 

The  Use  of  Honest  Testimonials. 

Co-operating  Through  Personal  Letters. 

Service  Prior  to  Making  the  Sale. 

Special  Service  to  Satisfy  Buyers. 

Promptness  in  Sending  Samples  and  Expenses. 
Promptness  and  Service  in  Delivery. 

Through  National  Advertising. 

Through  Localized  Advertising. 

Use  of  the  Circular  Follow-Up. 


PART  ONE 

RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE 
SALES  MANAGER 


WHAT  A SALES  MANAGER  SHOULD  KNOW  ABOUT 

HIS  WORK. 

THERE  are  eight  prime  divisions  of  the  Sales  Manager’s 
work.  Under  these  eight  divisions  come  a large  number 
of  minor  sub-divisions,  which  take  up  in  detail  the  respective 
things  that  will  be  valuable  in  some  degree  to  all  Sales  Mana- 
gers, even  though  each  Sales  Manager  who  reads  this  course  may 
not  find  it  possible  to  fit  all  of  them  to  his  proposition. 

The  eight  essential  elements  that  a Sales  Manager  must  know 
are: 

(1)  Responsibilities  of  the  Sales  Manager; 

(2)  How  to  Organize  the  Sales  Department; 

(3)  The  Best  Methods  of  Securing  Salesmen; 

(4)  Practical  Methods  of  Training  Salesmen; 

(5)  How  to  Gather  and  Use  Campaign  Material  ; 

(6)  Methods  of  Stimulating  the  Sales  Force; 

(7)  Specific  Facts  about  Office  Management; 

(8)  The  Best  Way  to  Insure  Active  Cooperation. 

In  a work  of  this  size,  it  is  obviously  impossible  to  give  all  the 
methods  used  by  all  Sales  Managers;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  do  so; 
but  an  endeavor  has  been  made  to  so  thoroughly  outline  the  facts 
needed  that  individual  Sales  Managers  will  profit  to  the  extent  to 
which  the  information  given  herein  is  studied  with  a discerning 
mind.  In  compiling  this  information,  the  endeavor  has  been 
mainly  made  to  put  into  the  hands  of  Sales  Managers  suggestions 
that  will  help  in  getting  and  holding  business. 

14 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  15 


The  National  Salesmen’s  Training  Association  and  the  Authors 
will  feel  that  their  endeavors  have  been  justified  if  this  course  on 
Sales  Management  will  help  the  thousands  of  Sales  Managers  to 
whom  it  will  go  to  more  perfectly  understand  their  problems,  and 
to  apply  the  general  principles  of  Sales  Management  with  a clearer 
understanding  of  what  can  be  done  when  the  right  attitude  of 
mind  is  taken,  and  when  essential  facts  are  found  through  investi- 
gation. It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  the  possibilities  of  suc- 
cess are  unlimited  when  the  Principles  of  Scientific  Sales  Manage- 
ment are  applied  correctly  to  specific  problems. 

The  Sales  Manager’s  Attitude  Toward  His  Men 

It  would  not  be  necessary  to  call  attention  to  the  value  of  the 
“You  and  I”  element  in  dealing  with  salesmen,  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  many  salesmen,  as  soon  as  they  become  Sales  Managers, 
forget  that.a  fundamental  precept  of  managing  men  is  to  recognize'' 
their  real  worth,  and  address  them  with  a courteous  regard  for 
their  selling  ability. 

Salesmen  are  keener  and  brighter  than  ordinary  employes. | 
Their  work  as  salesmen  makes  them  more  discerning,  and  gives 
them  a deeper  insight  into  the  guiding  motives  of  those  with  whom 
they  come  in  contact.  The  better  salesman  a man  is,  the  more 
closely  he  can  be  expected  to  judge  your  motives.  This  being  so, 
and  self-interest  being  the  guiding  motive  with  most  of  mankind, 
it  follows  that  it  is  seldom  that  a good  salesman  will  be  satisfied 
under  a Sales  Manager  who  is  interested  only  in  himself  and  who  is 
unable  or  unwilling  to  interest  himself  in  the  salesman. 

Service  and  Satisfaction  is  the  modern  slogan  in  dealing  with'\ 
the  trade  and  is  the  keynote  of  success  in  dealing  with  salesmen./ 
Show  him  that  his  interests  are  important  to  you  and  he  will  do 
likewise  by  you.  Show  only  a half-hearted  interest  in  him  and 
you  can  be  sure  that  he  will  serve  your  interests  in  a like  manner. 

When  you  can  talk  with  your  salesmen  and  feel  in  your  heart 
that  you  are  putting  them  before  you  in  the  getting  of  results, 


16  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


you  are  going  to  get  real  cooperation,  and  will  generate  a degree 
of  enthusiasm  that  will  exceed  your  most  sanguine  expectations. 
Sales  Managers  have  found  that  it  is  easier  to  handle  salesmen 
efficiently  and  pleasantly  by  putting  the  “you”  element  into  their 
talks  with  the  salesmen.  The  closer  a Sales  Manager  can  come  to 
talking  the  salesman’s  needs  and  wants,  the  surer  it  is  that  he  is  go- 
ing to  get  that  salesman  working  to  the  limit  for  the  house. 

It  is  not,  of  course,  necessary  to  do  away  with  the  “I”  element, 
but  it  has  been  found  better  to  subordinate  it  as  far  as  possible  in 
dealing  with  salesmen,  for  salesmen  are  particularly  awake  to  their 
own  needs  and  wants;  and  it  takes  a strong  personal  appeal  to  fire 
their  imagination  to  the  possibilities  of  a proposition,  even  though 
it  has  undoubted  merit.  A safe  policy  to  follow  when  talking  with 
salesmen  is  to  make  the  “you”  element  so  strong  that  the  salesmen 
will  think  they  have  suggested  all  the  things  you  want  them  to  do. 
Then  they  do  the  things  suggested  because  they  feel  they  are  doing 
exactly  what  they  want  to  do. 

The  Relation  of  the  Sales  Manager  to  His  Firm 

Inasmuch  as  the  Sales  Manager  is  employed  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  the  best  possible  results  in  both  quantity  and  quality  of 
selling,  his  attitude  toward  his  firm  should  be  an  attitude  of  want- 
ing to  cooperate  in  all  ways  that  will  advance  its  interests.  He 
should  not  be  jealous  of  other  departments.  He  should  be  willing 
to  aid  the  executives  in  the  way  they  require;  yet  he  should  not 
submerge  his  individuality  to  the  extent  that  improper  methods 
of  procedure  may  be  forced  upon  him. 

He  should  make  a stand  for  his  plans  and  methods,  which  are 
based  on  his  desire  to  serve  the  house,  whenever  he  feels  that  the 
house  is  pursuing  a policy  that  will  lessen  its  success,  or  that  will 
cause  either  a loss  of  profit  or  prestige.  He  should  believe  in  the 
business  for  which  he  works  as  though  he  owned  it.  He  does,  in 
a real  sense,  own  the  right  to  advance  its  interests  as  long  as  he  is 
with  it;  and  for  this  reason  he  should  tactfully  take  a firm  stand 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  17 

against  anybody  and  any  conditions  which  might  tend  to  break 
down  the  sales  force  he  is  so  carefully  developing  and  enthusing 
for  the  best  possible  sales  work. 

It  is  seldom  that  a Sales  Manager  who  is  himself  an  apostle  of 
Practical,  Scientific  Salesmanship  will  have  trouble  with  his  house. 
The  employers  want  results;  and  to  the  Sales  Manager  who  can 
show  these  results  they  offer  almost  unlimited  power  in  his  field  of 
work.  He  can  get  anything  he  asks  for,  if  he  proves  his  ability  to 
use  it  to  the  firm’s  interests.  He  is,  in  every  sense,  an  executive 
of  the  business;  and  so  important  a one  that  without  him,  or  a 
capable  substitute,  the  business  of  the  firm  would  be  lost  in  a maze 
of  competition. 

An  efficient  Sales  Manager  can  “make”  a firm;  an  inefficient  one 
can  ruin  even  the  best  kind  of  a house  if  permitted  to  continue  his 
inefficient  methods.  Good  salesmen  are  good  judges  of  Sales  Man- 
agers and  take  pride  in  working  for  efficient  ones.  The  individual 
salesman,  unless  he  is  an  unusual  man,  is  benefited  by  the  enthu- 
siasm of  his  Sales  Manager.  He  does  his  best  work  for  the  right 
kind  of  a leader;  and  falls  back  when  he  is  working  under  a Sales 
Manager  who  cannot  make  him  speed  up. 

Cooperation  with  Established  House  Policy 

The  Sales  Manager  should  respect  the  policy  of  the  house  for 
which  he  works.  He  should  take  great  care  not  to  go  contrary  to 
the  wishes  of  the  owners  or  chief  executive.  For,  it  is  evident,  if 
the  Sales  Manager  does  not  respect  the  executives  for  whom  he 
works,  or  does  not  respect  the  policy  of  his  house,  he  cannot  well 
ask  the  salesmen  working  under  him  to  do  so  and  give  the  house 
the  consideration  it  deserves. 

To  induce  others  to  follow  a certain  line  of  action,  it  is  necessary 
that  the  teacher  believe  in  it.  In  a real  sense,  the  Sales  Manager 
is  a teacher  of  his  salesmen,  and  he  can  best  induce  them  to  give  the 
policy  of  the  house  the  consideration  it  should  have  in  their  work 
if  he  himself  practices  what  he  preaches  and  if  he  takes  a personal 


18  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 

interest  in  advancing  the  sales  of  his  firm  in  the  manner  worked 
out  as  practical  and  consistent. 

Furthermore,  your  house  is  known  by  its  policy  of  service  almost 
as  much  as  by  the  merchandise  it  carries,  and  it  is  the  first  duty  of 
the  Sales  Manager  to  see  that  he  in  no  way  changes  the  established 
method  of  doing  business,  if  he  has  not  full  authority  to  do  so,  with- 
out first  consulting  those  who  have  the  interests  of  the  business 
at  heart,  and  who  have  been  instrumental  in  establishing  the  pol- 
icy being  followed.  If  he  has  a substitute  for  the  present  house 
policy,  which  he  may  have  in  many  instances;  if  he  knows  that  his 
method  will  make  bigger  profits  for  the  house,  or  make  sales 
easier;  if  he  is  sure  that  his  thought-out  policy  is  better  in  some 
way  than  the  one  now  used,  he  can  get  attention  from  his  employers, 
and  will  be  able  to  influence  them  to  see  conditions  and  things  as 
he  sees  them. 

It  should  not  be  thought  from  this  that  the  Sales  Manager 
should  be  indifferent  to  the  weak  points  in  the  house  policy.  Nei- 
ther should  it  be  assumed  that  it  is  his  duty  to  keep  his  “hands  off” 
of  existing  conditions.  The  contrary  is  true.  The  Sales  Manager 
should  make  any  changes  that  may  be  necessary  to  aid  him  in 
making  sales,  and  which  will  not  have  a deterrent  effect  on  those 
members  of  his  firm  whose  cooperation  he  needs.  If  he  has  rea- 
sons back  of  his  changes,  if  he  consults  with  those  who  will  be 
affected,  if  he  wants  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  house,  and  has 
proved  his  ability  to  get  results,  there  is  little  chance  that  he  will 
meet  with  great  opposition  when  he  advances  better  means  of  get- 
ting results. 

Cooperation  with  General  Manager  and  Staff 

One  of  the  chief  reasons  why  any  Sales  Manager  holds  his  posi- 
tion is  that  the  executives  who  hired  him  feel  that  he  is  a man  who 
can  be  depended  on  to  cooperate  with  them  to  the  last  degree  of 
loyalty.  He  is  employed  to  increase  the  earnings  of  the  company 
he  serves.  He  is  expected  to  have  initiative  in  doing  this;  but,  in 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  19 

many  cases,  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  do  it  alone,  without 
the  cooperation  of  those  to  whom  he  is  responsible. 

The  Scientific  Sales  Manager,  first  of  all,  treats  the  interests  of 
the  company  for  which  he  works  as  if  they  were  his  own.  They 
are,  in  a sense,  his  interests;  for  his  success  is  bound  up  in  that  of 
his  company.  He  therefore  serves  his  employers  to  the  best  of 
his  ability.  He  is  in  loyalty  bound  to  support  the  management, 
if  he  in  turn  would  have  the  salesmen  under  him  give  him  loyal 
support.  He  cannot  discredit  those  above  him  in  any  way,  and 
then  expect  the  salesmen  working  with  him  to  give  their  whole- 
hearted respect  and  loyalty. 

It  often  happens  that  the  Sales  Manager  has  to  reason  things 
out  with  his  superiors.  Many  a big  man  is  set  against  doing  things 
in  a radical  or  different  way,  and  the  new  way  may  be  the  efficient 
and  best  way  in  many  cases.  In  such  instances,  however,  if  the 
Sales  Manager  will  apply  his  knowledge  of  Salesmanship  to  “sell” 
those  above  him  on  his  progressive  ideas  and  plans,  he  will  be 
more  successful  than  will  be  the  case  if  he  follows  another  policy. 
If  he  cannot  sell  his  ideas  or  plans  to  the  management  right  at  the 
start,  a continuation  of  good  work  in  his  department  will  tend  in 
time  to  give  him  full  recognition. 

Cooperation  with  Department  Heads 

Close  cooperation  with  the  various  departmental  managers 
brings  results.  If  a Sales  Manager  does  not  cooperate  with  the 
Advertising,  the  Service,  the  Credit,  the  Collection,  the  Manufac- 
turing, Sales  Office  Employes,  and  the  Shipping  and  Traffic  De- 
partments— with  whom  he  is  doing  business  as  much  as  with  in- 
dividual customers — he  will  not  be  able  to  get  the  best  results 
for  the  salesmen  working  for  him  or  for  the  customers  sold  by  his 
salesmen.  It  takes  a closely  knit  organization  to  make  a success 
under  modern  competitive  conditions.  “One  for  all  and  all  for 
one”  is  a motto  that  may  well  be  followed  by  house  employes  that 
want  their  firm  to  make  good  with  its  customers,  and  increase  the 


20  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


good-will  of  the  public  with  whom  that  firm  deals  through  its  em- 
ployes. 

The  Sales  Manager,  because  of  his  long  training  in  Salesman- 
ship, his  knowledge  of  human  nature,  his  knowledge  of  conditions 
in  the  territory,  his  appreciation  of  the  needs  and  wants  of  cus- 
tomers, should  be  the  one  man  above  all  others  who  is  able  to  stim- 
ulate his  fellow  executives  to  a point  where  they  will  want  to  co- 
operate with  him  “for  the  good  of  the  business,”  and  because  they 
personally  want  to  see  his  department  make  good.  If  he  cannot 
stimulate  his  fellow  executives,  as  well  as  the  salesmen  working 
with  him,  he  has  failed  in  one  of  the  most  important  essentials  of 
his  position.  There  is  nothing  of  more  importance  than  coopera- 
tion in  making  a success  of  a business,  unless  the  actual  getting 
of  a profitable  business  in  the  field  might  be  put  first. 

The  Sales  Manager  will  quickly  be  able  to  determine  to  what 
extent  the  other  departments  are  cooperating  with  him.  He  can 
then  induce  further  cooperation  as  the  occasion  seems  to  demand. 
If  he  is  getting  along  in  an  all-right  manner  without  specific  atten- 
tion from  individual  departments,  he  may  be  turned  down  when 
he  makes  a request  for  more  consideration;  but  as  a general  rule  he 
can  depend  on  it  that  all  his  reasonable  demands  will  be  met,  if 
not  at  once,  as  soon  as  he  has  proved  the  necessity  for  his  request. 
A house  is  in  business  to  make  money,  and  it  is  going  to  support 
the  Sales  Manager  who  endeavors  to  help  it  make  money  in  the 
best  and  quickest  way. 

Cooperation  with  Advertising  Department 

There  should  be  no  friction  between  the  advertising  and  sales 
department,  for  these  two  departments  are  in  no  sense  competitors. 
If  the  sales  department  makes  good,  it  is  in  many  cases  partly  due 
to  the  excellence  of  the  advertising  matter  prepared  by  the  adver- 
tising department.  In  case  the  sales  department  fails  to  do  its 
part,  the  best  advertising  will  not  pay.  Cooperation  should  be  the 
watchword — for  the  good  of  the  firm. 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  21 

It  is  only  possible  to  cooperate  when  the  advertising  manager 
realizes  that  he  cannot  do  his  best  without  the  cooperation  of  the 
Sales  Manager,  and  when  the  Sales  Manager  feels  that  the  adver- 
tising department  can  lessen  the  work  of  the  individual  salesman, 
and  thereby  make  it  easier  for  him  to  convince  each  prospect  of  the 
standing  of  the  house,  of  the  sincerity  of  its  policy,  of  its  intention 
to  serve  him,  and  of  the  quality  of  its  goods  for  the  prices  it  quotes. 

It  is  quite  true  that  without  advertising  many  business  houses 
have  made  good  through  the  use  of  strong  personal  salesmen;  but 
it  has  become  so  well  established  at  the  present  time  that(adver- 
tising  has  a direct  value  to  each  salesman  calling  on  the  trade, 
that  to  get  the  best  results  progressive  business  houses  mix  adver- 
tising with  personal  salesmanship  just  as  the  individual  salesman 
is  expected  to  mix  brain-energy  with  foot-energy.  3 

The  Sales  Manager  who  is  progressive  will  give  his  best  ideas  to 
the  advertising  manager  and  help  the  advertising  manager  find 
out  the  different  points  of  interest  to  the  trade  and  the  consumers 
in  the  goods,  and  show  how  his  salesmen  make  their  appeals  to  dif- 
ferent types  of  customers.  From  this  material  the  advertising  de- 
partment will  be  better  able  to  classify  the  customers  in  such  a way 
that  it  can  make  direct  appeals  to  the  individuals,  or  so  it  can  form 
a composite-customer,  to  whom  it  can  appeal  through  the  printed 
word. 

In  either  case,  the  success  of  the  advertising  campaign  may  de- 
pend on  the  degree  of  cooperation  of  the  Sales  Manager,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  salesmen  gather  the  information  necessary  to 
insure  the  success  of  the  newspaper,  magazine,  billboard,  electric 
sign,  circulars,  letters,  or  other  advertising  that  may  be  used  to 
bring  to  the  trade  the  public’s  favorable  attention. 

Cooperation  with  the  Service  Department 

The  importance  of  the  Sales  Manager’s  cooperation  with  the 
Service  Department  is  evident,  for  any  way  in  which  the  Sales  Man- 
ager can  help  out  those  individuals  insuring  satisfaction  to  cus- 


22  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


tomers  helps  to  increase  the  sales.  The  Service  Department,  in 
a real  sense,  is  a sales  maker,  and  very  closely  allied  with  the  Sales 
Department,  if  not  a part  of  it.  It  should  be  treated  with  the 
same  consideration  as  the  Credit  Department,  for  while  the  Credit 
Department  saves  the  Sales  Department  from  losing  money  on  un- 
profitable sales,  the  Service  Department  insures  satisfied  customers 
— customers  who  will  directly  or  indirectly  bring  new  customers 
into  the  sales  list. 

Inasmuch  as  the  salesmen  are  constantly  referring  to  the  service 
their  company  gives,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Sales  Manager  to  see 
that  this  service  is  made  as  advantageous  to  the  customer  as  pos- 
sible, without  unduly  cutting  into  the  profits  of  the  firm  for  which 
he  works.  The  customer  appreciates  good  service.  While  it  is 
true  that  in  some  lines  of  business  the  customer  often  gets  more 
service  than  he  is  entitled  to,  as  a rule  the  reverse  is  true. 

As  long  as  service  increases  the  sales,  and  does  not  cut  too  deeply 
into  the  profits,  it  can  be  charged  to  the  selling  expense,  and  made 
to  pay.  Before  a price  is  put  on  an  article,  in  fact,  the  amount  of 
service  to  be  given  with  it  should  be  considered;  then  the  price 
ought  to  be  fixed  to  cover  the  average  amount  of  service  it  is  in- 
tended to  give  customers. 

Some  customers,  to  be  sure,  will  demand  more  than  their  right- 
ful share;  but,  such  customers  are  often  the  best  word-of-mouth  ad- 
vertisers a company  has.  The  customers  who  do  not  use  so  much 
of  the  company  time  and  who  do  not  demand  so  much  attention 
may  advertise  you  less,  and  may  really  not  be  so  valuable  from  the 
standpoint  of  making  re-sales  and  getting  new  business  as  the  cus- 
tomer who  demands  a lot  of  attention  even  after  his  bill  is  paid. 
Give  each  customer  all  the  service  you  possibly  can.  When  the 
limit  is  reached,  tell  him  so,  explaining  why  the  limit  has  been 
reached. 

The  more  a customer  comes  to  you  for  something  he  wants  in 
the  way  of  information,  repairs,  or  service  of  any  nature,  the  of- 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  23 

tener  you  have  a chance  to  show  him  the  sound  policy  of  your  com- 
pany, resell  him,  and  to  send  him  away  feeling  better  than  before. 
If  you  can  get  a customer  to  believing  that  he  is  indebted  to  you, 
without  actually  telling  him  so,  he  will  at  times  endeavor  to  turn 
enough  business  over  to  you,  which  you  would  not  otherwise  get, 
to  offset  his  debt.  Men  are  honest  and  they  will  repay  their  debts 
of  service  as  well  as  of  money.  It  is  necessary,  however,  that  they 
be  made  to  realize  in  a tactful  and  reasonable  way  that  they  are 
really  indebted  for  extra  service,  and  that  unless  your  business 
with  them  is  profitable  you  will  not  be  able  to  render  service. 

Cooperation  with  Credit  Department 

Salesmen  are  inclined  to  sell  any  customer  who  they  assume 
from  outward  circumstances  will  be  likely  to  pay.  This  condition 
must  be  carefully  watched  for  a customer  who  would  pay  cash  if 
approached  right  in  the  first  place  will  often  refuse  to  do  business 
with  a firm  whose  salesman  has  granted  him  a line  of  credit  which 
is  in  turn  rejected  by  the  Credit  Man.  This  makes  it  necessary 
that  there  be  close  cooperation  between  the  Sales  Manager  and  the 
Credit  Man. 

The  Sales  Manager  should  know  the  inner  workings  of  the  Cred- 
it Department.  He  should  know  the  why  of  each  rejection  of  credit 
so  he  can  explain  matters  to  his  salesmen,  and  either  give  the 
salesmen  a number  of  rules  which  they  can  follow  in  judging  the 
customer’s  credit  standing,  or  teach  them  how  to  handle  a cus- 
tomer so  he  can  be  induced  to  pay  cash  if  the  Credit  Man  finds  he 
cannot  at  the  time  grant  the  credit  that  would  otherwise  be  asked 
for. 

Because  he  is  anxious  to  make  a good  showing  in  volume  of 
business,  the  Sales  Manager  often  gives  less  attention  to  the  work 
of  the  Credit  Department  than  its  importance  to  the  firm  would 
justify.  He  does  not  always  see  its  importance  to  his  department, 
as  well  as  to  the  firm  as  a whole.  He  may  not  appreciate  that 
without  a careful  Credit  Department  some  of  his  salesmen  would 


24  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 

lose  more  money  through  bad  accounts  than  they  make  through 
profitable  sales  that  are  paid  in  full.  If  the  profit  on  an  account 
is  ten  percent,  and  the  salesman  sells  one  bad  account  out  of  every 
ten  sales,  there  will  hardly  be  a profit  for  the  house. 

You  will  see  that  it  is  to  your  advantage  to  make  only  those 
sales  that  are  profitable.  You  can  only  be  sure  that  a sale  made 
on  credit  will  be  profitable  when  it  is  closely  checked  up  by  the 
Credit  Man  to  fit  the  financial  standing  and  character  of  the  in- 
dividual customer,  as  he  finds  it  through  special  reports,  through 
reference  to  his  files,  through  rating  books,  through  bank  refer- 
ences, etc. 

Then  keep  in  touch  with  your  Credit  Department.  Realize 
that  you  are  the  initiative  and  profit  producing  part  of  the  con- 
cern, while  the  credit  department  has  an  important  place  in  seeing 
that  the  motors  of  the  sales  department  do  not  get  out  of  commis- 
sion through  a lack  of  fuel. 

Cooperation  with  Collection  Department 

What  has  just  been  said  regarding  the  cooperation  of  the 
Sales  Department  with  the  Credit  Department  applies  with  equal 
force  to  the  Collection  Department.  The  Sales  Manager  should 
impress  upon  his  men  that  it  is  their  duty  to  cooperate  with  the 
Collection  Department  in  every  possible  way,  even  to  the  extent 
of  collecting  accounts  themselves.  No  salesman  is  worthy  of  the 
name  if  he  would  rather  see  his  firm  lose  money  than  to  collect  it 
himself. 

If  a salesman  really  wants  to  be  successful  he  must  serve  his 
firm  well.  He  must  be  willing  to  do  the  tasks  that  are  necessary, 
even  though  they  seem  to  be  outside  of  his  particular  field.  It 
certainly  is  fair  to  ask  a salesman  to  collect  an  account  for  a bill  of 
goods  he  has  sold,  and  for  which  he  himself  has  asked  credit,  if  it 
cannot  be  collected  through  the  regular  sources. 

Profits  are  based,  not  on  sales  so  much  as  on  the  amount  of  mon- 
ey that  comes  in  through  such  sales.  It  is  a recognized  fact  that 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  25 

a salesman  who  gives  his  goods  away  without  demanding  reliable 
credit  statements  from  his  customers  is  not  an  asset  to  the  house. 
As  a rule,  the  salesmen  must  be  extra  careful  to  see  that  a new 
customer  has  the  assets  that  will  make  it  extremely  probable  that 
he  will  be  able  as  well  as  willing  to  pay  the  firm  for  its  goods. 

Whenever  a bill  remains  unpaid  the  salesman  should  be  penalized 
to  the  extent  of  having  to  cooperate  in  its  collection.  Even  though 
some  salesmen  object  to  doing  collecting  work,  if  the  attitude  of 
the  Sales  Manager  is  positive,  and  he  shows  them  the  reasons  why 
it  is  a part  of  their  duty  to  the  firm,  and  how  his  success  and  the 
success  of  the  firm  may  depend  on  quick  collections,  he  will  usually 
be  able  to  influence  such  self-interested  salesmen  to  fall  in  line 
with  the  more  firm-interested  salesmen. 

The  salesman  should  have  firm-interest  as  well  as  self-interest 
to  class  as  a first-grade  man,  and  when  this  is  shown  him,  little 
trouble  will  be  experienced  in  getting  him  to  make  collections 
that  will  insure  greater  profits  for  the  firm.  The  policy  of  the 
house,  of  course,  will  determine  to  what  extent  the  salesmen  are 
to  make  collections. 

Keep  your  hand  on  the  throttle.  Keep  your  salesmen  in  line. 
Convince  them  of  the  value  of  doing  what  you  want  them  to  do. 
Put  it  up  to  them.  Get  them  to  take  on  responsibility — as  much 
as  each  man  can  carry;  then,  through  their  realization  of  the  im- 
portance of  doing  things,  get  them  to  build  for  the  future  of  the 
business  as  well  as  for  their  own  individual  incomes. 

Cooperation  with  Manufacturing  Division 

It  is  from  the  Sales  Manager  in  many  cases  that  suggestions  for 
the  improvement  in  manufacturing  goods  must  come.  The  sales- 
men in  the  field  of  active  selling  get  many  ideas  from  the  customers 
they  meet.  These  ideas  are  in  turn  communicated  to  the  Sales 
Manager,  and  when  he  receives  a sufficient  number  of  them  that 
show  the  merchandise  lacks  in  certain  essential  qualities  necessary 
to  increase  the  amount  sold,  he  takes  up  the  points  he  has  learned 


26  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 

with  the  Manufacturing  Division  of  his  firm;  and  new  plans  are 
made,  or  old  plans  added  to,  that  the  merchandise  may  better  fit 
the  needs  and  wants  of  the  consumers. 

The  chief  purpose  of  making  goods  is  to  sell  them.  Men  are  in 
business  to  make  money.  If  an  article  will  sell  better  made  one 
way  than  it  will  if  made  in  another,  the  Manufacturing  Depart- 
ment should  be  in  such  close  cooperation  with  the  Sales  Manager 
and  his  salesmen  that  the  change  is  made  as  soon  as  possible.  In 
this  way  there  will  be  constant  improvement  in  merchandise  for 
the  general  public,  and  a corresponding  improvement  in  sales  and 
profits. 

The  customer  is  the  best  judge  of  what  he  wants,  and  the  Sales 
Manager  who  has  induced  his  salesmen  to  be  on  the  watch  for  bet- 
ter methods  of  satisfying  the  demands  of  the  trade  will,  other 
things  being  equal,  have  the  largest  volume  of  sales  to  the  credit 
of  his  firm  each  year.  It  is  not  always  possible  to  get  full  informa- 
tion on  the  best  way  of  manufacturing  goods  before  they  are  put 
on  the  market. 

A new  way  of  producing  goods  for  consumption  is  devised,  tried 
out,  proved  as  better  than  the  old  method;  and  then  the  new  mer- 
chandise is  sold  to  the  public.  As  a general  rule,  improvement 
would  stop  right  here;  but,  in  actual  experience,  when  the  article 
once  gets  on  the  market  it  is  tried  and  tested  by  the  great  consumer 
jury;  and  the  individuals  who  compose  this  great  jury  have  ideas 
that  are  often  of  profit  to  the  house  manufacturing  the  article, 
and  which  ideas  can  be  had,  often  without  asking. 

Your  goods  may  be  excellent,  but  if  it  is  possible  to  make  them 
fit  the  demands  of  the  trade  better  than  they  now  do,  and  you  do 
not  discover  and  work  out  the  way  in  which  this  can  be  done,  a 
competitor  will;  and  then  you  will  see  the  field  which  you  have 
worked  up  so  carefully  and  intensively  disappear  into  the  possession 
of  your  progressive  competitor.  Eternal  vigilance  in  improving 
merchandise  is  the  price  of  having  a superior  product.  It  is  the 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  27 


house  that  has  the  superior  product  that  can  afford  to  hire  the 
superior  class  of  salesmen,  and  which  will  in  the  end  be  the  biggest 


success. 


Cooperation  with  Sales  Office  Employes 

It  is  to  be  expected  by  outsiders  that  the  employes  of  a Sales 
Department  will  exhibit  in  their  dealings  with  salesmen  and  cus- 
tomers and  among  themselves  a knowledge  of  and  an  application 
of  the  Principles  of  Salesmanship  that  are  being  used  in  the  gener- 
al selling  scheme.  Such  is  not,  however,  always  the  case.  The 
employes  of  the  Sales  Office,  on  the  contrary,  in  many  cases  show 
a negligence  and  lack  of  interest  in  business  etiquette  and  sales- 
manship that  can  only  be  explained  by  saying  that  the  Sales  Man- 
ager has  not  been  equal  to  his  position. 

If  the  Sales  Manager  will  indicate  that  he  has  a personal  interest 
in  each  employe,  and  will  try  to  show  the  individual  employe  the 
importance  of  cooperation,  and  will  prove  its  value  to  them  by 
showing  a spirit  of  cooperation  himself,  conditions  will  adjust  them- 
selves to  a high  degree  of  efficiency  as  the  organization  worked 
out  by  Sales  Manager,  Sales  Office  Employes  and  Salesmen  begins 
to  run  smoothly. 

It  can  only  be  assumed  that  the  employes  will  cooperate  to  the 
advantage  of  the  Sales  Manager  and  his  employer  if  they  think 
that  such  cooperation  is  in  some  way  an  advantage  to  them,  and 
in  no  way  hurtful.  Each  employe  can  be  made  a distinct  sales 
builder,  even  though  he  or  she  is  not  actively  engaged  in  selling. 
At  times  it  may  be  quite  as  important  to  get  a salesman’s  orders 
through  as  it  was  for  the  salesman  to  take  the  particular  order  in 
the  first  place. 

And  here  it  is,  through  the  stimulation  and  management  of  the 
Sales  Manager,  that  the  sales  office  employes  can  be  enthused  to 
a point  where  they  will  want  to  do  everything  in  their  power  to 
make  the  department  for  which  they  work  a success.  A Sales 
Manager  who  can  get  the  personal  interest  of  his  employes  centered 


28  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


in  their  work,  and  make  them  feel  their  responsibilities,  will  be  a 
long  way  toward  that  freedom  from  detail  that  will  make  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  extensively  plan  for  bigger  business. 

If  you  will  consider  the  sales  office  employes  as  human  beings 
who  are  not  only  interested  in  making  a dollar,  but  who  can  also 
be  enthused  with  a team  spirit  and  a desire  to  help  you  in  your 
work,  you  will  be  able  to  get  the  cooperation  you  want,  and  which 
may  be  so  essential  to  making  the  sales  organization  under  your  con- 
trol stand  head  and  shoulders  over  what  it  has  in  the  past,  or  what 
similar  organizations  are  doing  in  other  firms.  Then  you  can  feel 
that  you  are  justifying  your  managerial  ability,  as  well  as  your 
inspirational  sales  work. 

Cooperation  with  Shipping  and  Traffic  Department 

A great  many  delays  in  shipping  goods  are  avoided  when  the 
Sales  Manager  keeps  in  touch  with  the  Traffic  Department.  It 
should  be  the  aim  of  the  Sales  Manager  to  see  that  all  goods  are 
shipped  on  time.  His  salesmen  are  obliged,  in  many  cases,  to 
promise  definite  delivery  of  merchandise  in  order  to  close  orders. 
Thus  it  is  necessary,  in  view  of  the  service  the  house  wants  to  render 
a customer,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  honesty  of  the  sales- 
man should  not  suffer,  that  the  Sales  Manager  uphold  the  promises 
of  the  salesman  at  the  house.  He  can  do  this  in  one  way  by  seeing 
that  each  order  is  shipped  on  time,  or  that  it  is  split  into  divisions, 
or  that  it  is  handled  in  any  way  that  may  be  most  convenient  to 
the  customer. 

It  is  manifestly  impossible  for  the  house  to  make  itself  a store- 
room for  an  overstocked  customer.  The  Sales  Manager,  when  he 
has  the  room,  will  often  hold  an  order  even  months  after  it  has 
been  put  in  by  the  salesman,  rather  than  risk  a cancellation;  but 
there  is  a limit  to  the  time  an  order  can  be  held,  and  when  this 
limit  is  reached  it  should  be  disposed  of  or  go  forward  without  de- 
lay. 

If  a customer  wants  an  order  of  goods  shipped  to  him  on  a cer- 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  29 


tain  date,  and  it  is  found  that  this  order  cannot  be  shipped  until 
some  time  later,  through  traffic  congestion,  or  through  a lack  of 
materials,  etc.,  the  Sales  Manager  must  take  this  matter  up  both 
with  the  salesman  and  the  customer,  in  order  to  avoid  any  com- 
plaint. If  a customer  finds  that  he  will  not  lose  by  waiting  for  all 
j'  or  part  of  his  order,  the  conditions  can  be  arranged  to  suit  the 
house. 

The  customer’s  consent,  however,  is  necessary  to  avoid  any 
* friction  over  the  delivery  of  the  goods.  A sale  is  only  a sale  when 
the  house  can  ship  the  goods  exactly  as  ordered  and  on  time.  If 
the  house  falls  down  on  its  end  of  the  agreement  the  customer  does 
not  feel  obliged  to  hold  up  his  end  of  it. 

Close  cooperation  between  the  Sales  Department  and  the  Traffic 
Department  will  go  a long  way  toward  avoiding  delays  in  ship- 
ments. In  fact,  the  sales  force  will  be  greatly  helped,  and  will 
not  have  cause  for  a slump  in  confidence  in  the  house  if  it  finds  it 
can  always  depend  on  customers  receiving  goods  in  due  season  for 
re-sale  or  general  utility. 


SELF-QUIZ  OR  SELF-ANALYSIS  PERSONAL 
EFFICIENCY  TESTS 

1 .—DO  I REMEMBER  THAT  A FUNDAMENTAL  PRECEPT  OF  MANAGING  SALES- 
MEN IS  TO  RECOGNIZE  THEIR  REAL  WORTH , GIVE  CONSIDERATION  TO 
EACH  MAN'S  INDIVIDUALITY , AND  TALK  WITH  HIM  IN  TERMS  OF  “YOU" 
* INSTEAD  OF  “I”? 

2—  DO  I REALIZE  THAT  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  HAVE  A DEEP  INSIGHT 
INTO  MY  GUIDING  METHODS  AND  WILL  ONLY  BE  SATISFIED  WITH  ME 
IF  I TAKE  A PERSONAL  INTEREST  IN  EACH  MAN t 

3—  DO  I TREAT  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  WITH  THE  SAME  CONSIDERATION , 

* AS  TO  GIVING  THEM  MY  BEST  SERVICE  AND  INSURING  THEIR  SATISFAC- 

TION WITH  MY  WORK,  AS  I WOULD  THE  FIRM'S  BEST  CUSTOMERS? 

4.— DO  I CONSIDER  THAT  IT  TAKES  A STRONG  PERSONAL  APPEAL  TO  FIRE 
A SALESMAN'S  IMAGINATION  TO  THE  POSSIBILITIES  OF  A PROPOSITION 
EVEN  THOUGH  IT  HAS  UNUSUAL  MERIT? 

5— DO  I PERCEIVE  THE  SAFEST  POLICY  TO  FOLLOW  WHEN  DEALING  WITH 
THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  IS  TO  MAKE  THE  “YOU"  ELEMENT  SO  STRONG 
THAT  THE  INDIVIDUAL  SALESMAN  WILL  FOLLOW  MY  INSTRUCTIONS 
BECAUSE  HE  FEELS  THAT  SUCH  INSTRUCTIONS  WERE , IN  PART  AT 
LEAST,  SUGGESTED  BY  HIMSELF? 

6.— IS  MY  ATTITUDE  TOWARD  MY  FIRM  ONE  OF  COOPERATION  SO  AS  TO 
AVOID  BEING  JEALOUS  OF  OTHER  DEPARTMENT  HEADS;  YET  DO  I KEEP 
MY  INDIVIDUALITY  INTACT  TO  THE  EXTENT  THAT  IMPROPER  METHODS 
OF  PROCEDURE  MAY  NOT  BE  FORCED  UPON  ME? 


30  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT 


7.  — WHEN  MY  HOUSE  IS  PURSUING  A POLICY  THAT  WILL  LESSEN  ITS  SUC- 

CESS, PROFITS , OR  PRESTIGE,  DO  I TACTFULLY  TAKE  A FIRM  STAND 
AGAINST  ANYBODY  AND  ANYTHING  WHICH  MIGHT  TEND  TO  BREAK 
DOWN  THE  SALES  FORCE,  AND  PROVE  THAT  MY  PLANS  AND  METHODS 
ARE  BASED  ON  FACTS  AND  PRINCIPLES  THAT  WILL  STAND  THE  TESTS 
OF  BUSINESS ? 

8 . —DO  I APPRECIATE  THAT,  ONCE  I HAVE  PROVED  MY  ABILITY  TO  USE 

AUTHORITY  FOR  THE  FIRM’S  BEST  INTERESTS,  IT  WILL  GIVE  ME  AL- 
MOST UNLIMITED  POWER  IN  MY  FIELD  OF  WORK f 

9 . —DO  I PERCEIVE  THAT  MY  POSITION  OFFERS  ME  OPPORTUNITIES  TO 

“MAKE”  MY  FIRM,  OR  “BREAK”  IT  THROUGH  INEFFICIENT  METHODS,  K 
THAT  MY  ENTHUSIASM  WILL  BE  REFLECTED  IN  THE  SALESMEN  I 
DIRECT;  AND  THAT  IF  I AM  THE  RIGHT  KIND  OF  LEADER,  I CAN  SPEED 
UP  EVEN  GOOD  SALESMEN? 

10  —DO  I RESPECT  THE  POLICY  OF  MY  HOUSE  AND  FOLLOW  THE  WISHES  OF 
ITS  OWNER  OR  CHIEF  EXECUTIVE , SO  THAT  I MAY,  IN  TURN,  DEMAND 
OF  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  THE  FULLEST  CONSIDERATION  FOR  THE  r 
HOUSE  POLICY , AND  SUCH  REGULATIONS  THAT  I FIND  NECESSARY? 

11.  — DO  I AVOID  CHANGING  THE  ESTABLISHED  METHOD  OF  DOING  BUSINESS, 

IF  I HAVE  NOT  FULL  AUTHORITY,  WITHOUT  FIRST  CONSULTING  THOSE 
WHO  HAVE  BEEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  ESTABLISHING  MY  FIRM’S  BUSI- 
NESS REPUTATION  AND  PRESTIGE? 

12. — DO  I RECOMMEND  CHANGES  IN  WEAK  POINTS  IN  THE  HOUSE  POLICY; 

CHANGES  THAT  WILL  HELP  THE  SALESMEN  UNDER  ME  TO  MAKE  SALES; 
CHANGES  THAT  WILL  RENDER  GREATER  SERVICE  AND  BETTER  SATIS- 
FACTION TO  THE  CUSTOMER,  WHEN  SUCH  CHANGES  DO  NOT  CONFLICT 
WITH  THE  RIGHTS  OF  OTHER  DEPARTMENT  HEADS? 

13  —DO  I REALIZE  THAT  I CANNOT  DISCREDIT  MY  SUPERIOR  OFFICERS 
WITHOUT  CASTING  DISCREDIT  UPON  MYSELF,  AND  THAT  I CAN  ONLY 
EXPECT  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  TO  GIVE  ME  THEIR  WHOLE-HEARTED 
RESPECT  AND  LOYALTY  IF  I MYSELF  AM  LOYAL  TO  THE  FIRM? 

14.— DO  I APPLY  MY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  SALESMANSHIP  TO  “SELL”  MY  SUPERIOR 
EXECUTIVES  ON  RADICAL  OR  DIFFERENT  WAYS  OF  DOING  THINGS  WHICH 
I PROPOSE,  KNOWING  THAT  IF  I CANNOT  SELL  MY  IDEAS  OR  PLANS  TO 
THE  MANAGEMENT  AT  THE  START,  GOOD  WORK  ON  MY  PART  WILL  IN 
TIME  BRING  MY  IDEAS  AND  PLANS  FULL  RECOGNITION? 

1 5— DO  I COOPERATE  WITH  THE  ADVERTISING  MANAGER;  THE  SERVICE, 
THE  CREDIT,  THE  COLLECTION,  THE  MANUFACTURING,  THE  SHIPPING 
AND  THE  TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENTS;  WITH  SALES  OFFICE  EMPLOYES 
AND  THUS  OBTAIN  THE  BEST  RESULTS  FOR  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT 
AND  FOR  THEIR  CUSTOMERS? 

16 . —DO  I REALIZE  THAT  MY  OWN  TRAINING  IN  SALESMANSHIP,  MY  KNOW- 

LEDGE OF  HUMAN  NATURE,  MY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CONDITIONS  IN  THE  f 
TERRITORY,  MY  APPRECIATION  OF  THE  NEEDS  AND  WANTS  OF  CUS- 
TOMERS, MAKE  ME  THE  ONE  MAN  IN  MY  FIRM  WHO  IS  ABLE,  ABOVE 
ALL  OTHERS,  TO  STIMULATE  MY  FELLOW  EXECUTIVES  TO  THE  POINT 
WHERE  THEY  WILL  WANT  TO  COOPERATE  WITH  ONE  ANOTHER  “FOR  THE 
PS?  GOOD  OF  THE  BUSINESS”? 

17. — DO  I ASCERTAIN  TO  WHAT  EXTENT  OTHER  DEPARTMENTS  ARE  CO-  ' 

OPERATING  WITH  ME,  AND  INDUCE  FURTHER  COOPERATION  AS  OCCA- 
SION DEMANDS,  MEETING  OPPOSITION  WITH  FACTS  THAT  PROVE  THE 
NECESSITY  FOR  MY  REQUEST? 

18 . —DO  I AVOID  FRICTION  WITH  THE  ADVERTISING  MANAGER,  REALIZING 

THAT  THE  SALES  AND  ADVERTISING  DEPARTMENTS  ARE  IN  NO  SENSE 
COMPETITORS,  BUT  THAT  WE  MUST  WORK  HAND  IN  HAND  IN  SERVING 
OUR  FIRM? 

19 . —DO  I SEE  THAT  THE  ADVERTISING  DEPARTMENT  LESSENS  THE 

WORK  OF  THE  PERSONAL  SALESMAN  AND  MAKES  IT  EASIER  FOR 
HIM  TO  CONVINCE  EACH  PROSPECT  OF  THE  STANDING  OF  THE 
HOUSE,  OF  THE  SINCERITY  OF  ITS  POLICY,  OF  ITS  INTENTION  TO 
SERVE  HIM,  OF  THE  QUALITY  OF  ITS  GOODS,  AND  THE  FAIRNESS 
OF  THE  PRICES  HE  QUOTES t 


RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  SALES  MANAGER  31 


20.  — DO  I FULLY  APPRECIATE  THAT  ADVERTISING  MUST  BE  "MIXED"  WITH 

PERSONAL  SALESMANSHIP,  FOR  THE  SUCCESS  OF  THE  BUSINESS,  IN 
THE  SAME  WAY  THAT  A PERSONAL  SALESMAN  MIXES  BRAIN  ENERGY 
AND  FOOT  ENERGY? 

21.  — DO  I HELP  THE  ADVERTISING  MANAGER  ASCERTAIN  THE  DIFFERENT 

POINTS  OF  INTEREST,  TO  TRADE  AND  CONSUMERS,  IN  THE  FIRM'S 
GOODS,  AND  HOW  THE  SALESMEN  UNDER  ME  MAKE  THEIR  APPEALS  TO 
DIFFERENT  TYPES  OF  CUSTOMERS? 

22. — DO  I APPRECIATE  THAT  THE  SUCCESS  OF  AN  ADVERTISING  CAMPAIGN 

2 MAY  DEPEND  UPON  MY  COOPERATION  AND  THE  ZEAL  WITH  WHICH 

* THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  GATHER  NECESSARY  INFORMATION? 

23. — DO  I REALIZE  THAT  THE  SERVICE  DEPARTMENT  IS  A SALES  MAKER, 

INASMUCH  AS  IT  INSURES  SATISFIED  CUSTOMERS  WHO  WILL  DIRECTLY 
OR  INDIRECTLY  HELP  MY  FIRM  TO  MAKE  SALES? 

% 24. — DO  I DELIVER  THE  STIPULATED  AMOUNT  OF  SERVICE  PROMISED  BY  MY 

FIRM  OR  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT,  GIVING  EXTRA  SERVICE  AS  LONG  AS 
IT  INCREASES  THE  SALES  AND  DOES  NOT  CUT  TOO  DEEPLY  INTO  THE 
PROFITS?  * 

25— DO  I TACTFULLY  EXPLAIN  TO  A SALESMAN  OR  CUSTOMER  THE  REA- 
SONS WHY  THE  LIMIT  OF  SERVICE  HAS  BEEN  REACHED,  WHEN  SUCH  IS 
THE  CASE,  IN  ORDER  TO  AVOID  UNWARRANTED  DRAINS  UPON  THE 
PROFITS  OF  MY  HOUSE? 

26. — DO  I WARN  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  AGAINST  SELLING  A CUSTOMER 
ON  CREDIT,  WHEN  HE  MIGHT  BE  INDUCED  TO  BUY  FOR  CASH,  IF  THERE 
IS  ANY  DANGER  THAT  THE  CREDIT  DEPARTMENT  MAY  TURN  THE 
ORDER  DOWN  AND  THUS  ANTAGONIZE  THE  CUSTOMER? 

27— DO  I ASCERTAIN  THE  "WHY"  OF  EACH  REJECTION  OF  CREDIT,  EXPLAIN 
MATTERS  TO  THE  SALESMAN  INTERESTED,  GIVING  SUCH  RULES,  REGU- 
LATIONS OR  ADVICE  AS  WILL  HELP  THE  SALESMEN  TO  HANDLE  CUS- 
TOMERS SO  THAT  THEY  CAN  BE  INDUCED  TO  PAY  CASH  IF  THE  CREDIT 
MAN  REFUSES  THEM  CREDIT ? 

28  —DO  I APPRECIATE  THAT  WITHOUT  A CAREFUL  CREDIT  DEPARTMENT, 

SOME  OF  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  MIGHT  LOSE  MORE  MONEY  THROUGH 
BAD  ACCOUNTS  THAN  THEY  WOULD  MAKE  THROUGH  PROFITABLE 
SALES  THAT  ARE  PAID  FOR  IN  FULL? 

29  —DO  I IMPRESS  UPON  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  THAT  IT  IS  THEIR  DUTY 

TO  COOPERATE  WITH  THE  COLLECTION  DEPARTMENT  IN  EVERY  POS- 
SIBLE WAY,  EVEN  TO  THE  EXTENT  OF  COLLECTING  ACCOUNTS  THEM- 
SELVES WHEN  IT  IS  ADVISABLE  AND  WITHIN  THE  HOUSE  POLICY  TO 
DO  SO? 

J 30.— WHEN  A SALESMAN  OBJECTS  TO  COLLECTING,  DO  I SHOW  HIM  IN  A TACT- 
FUL WAY  THAT  IT  IS  IMPORTANT  FOR  HIM  TO  SHOW  ZEAL  IN  THE 
COLLECTION  OF  ACCOUNTS  THAT  CANNOT  BE  COLLECTED  THROUGH  THE 
REGULAR  SOURCES,  IN  ORDER  THAT  HIS  FUTURE  RECOMMENDATIONS 
MAY  RECEIVE  PROPER  CONSIDERATION? 
m 13 .—DO  I KEEP  MY  HAND  ON  THE  THROTTLE  OF  THE  SALES  ENGINE,  KEEP 
T MY  SALESMEN  AT  THEIR  APPOINTED  TASKS,  CONVINCE  THEM  THAT 

RULES  AND  ADVICE  ARE  FOR  THEIR  BENEFIT,  URGE  EACH  MAN  TO 
CARRY  WHAT  RESPONSIBILITY  HE  CAN,  AND  GET  THEM  TO  BUILD  FOR 
THE  FUTURE  OF  THE  BUSINESS  IN  ORDER  THAT  THEIR  OWN  INDIVID- 
UAL INCOMES  MAY  BE  INCREASED  AND  ASSURED? 

32.— DO  I POINT  OUT  TO  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF 
GETTING  IDEAS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  THAT  WILL  IMPROVE  THE  UTILITY 
OF  MY  FIRM'S  PRODUCTS,  AND  IN  TURN  COMMUNICATE  THESE  IDEAS 
TO  THE  MANUFACTURING  EXECUTIVES  OF  THE  FIRM? 

33— DO  I FULLY  APPRECIATE  THAT  IT  IS  MUCH  EASIER  AND  SAFER,  AS  A 
RULE,  TO  CHANGE  MANUFACTURING  PROCESSES  THAN  TO  SELL  THE 
PUBLIC  SOMETHING  IT  DOES  NOT  WANT,  AND  KEEP  ON  THE  LOOKOUT 
FOR  IDEAS  THAT  WILL  MAKE  THE  SALE  OF  MY  FIRM'S  PRODUCTS 
EASIER? 


3 0 


12  105465923 


32  N.  S.  T.  A.  SYSTEM  OF  SALES  MANAGEMENT  1 

34.  — DO  I REALIZE  THAT  A SUPERIOR  PRODUCT  IS  MADE  BY  A SUPERIOR  11 

HOUSE , TO  BE  SOLD  BY  SUPERIOR  SALESMEN— AND  THAT  I AM  A SU-M 
PERIOR  SALES  MANAGER  ONLY  IF  I USE  ETERNAL  VIGILANCE  IN  IM  - 
PROVING  MY  SALES  FORCE , SALES  METHODS , ETC .? 

35. — DO  I KNOW  THAT  OUTSIDERS  EXPECT  SALES  DEPARTMENT  EMPLOYES  fij 

TO  EXHIBIT  A KNOWLEDGE  AND  APPLICATION  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  1 
SALESMANSHIP , AS  USED  IN  THE  GENERAL  SELLING  SCHEME , IN  THEIR  1 
DEALINGS  WITH  SALESMEN  AND  CUSTOMERS ? 

36. — DO  I,  FROM  TIME  TO  TIME , HOLD  INFORMAL  CONFERENCES  WITH  THE  i 

SALES  DEPARTMENT  EMPLOYES , CALLING  ATTENTION  TO  PRINCIPLES  1 
OF  BUSINESS  ETIQUETTE  AND  PERSONAL  SELLING,  AND  SHOWING  HOW 
THEIR  COOPERATION  PUTS  THEM  IN  LINE  AND  ADVANCES  THE  BEST  | 
INTERESTS  OF  “THEIR"  FIRM ? 

37.  — DO  I SHOW  A SPIRIT  OF  COOPERATION  MYSELF  SO  THAT  CONDITIONS 

WILL  ADJUST  THEMSELVES  TO  A HIGH  DEGREE  OF  EFFICIENCY  AS  THE 
ORGANIZATION  WORKED  OUT  BY  MYSELF  AND  OTHERS  BEGINS  TO  RUN  i 
SMOOTHLY? 

38. — DO  I EXPLAIN  TO  THE  EMPLOYES  I DIRECT  WHY  COOPERATION  IS  I 

HELPFUL  TO  THEM , PROVE  WHY  IT  IS  IN  NO  WAY  HURTFUL , TO  THE  $ 
END  THAT  EACH  EMPLOYE  WILL  HANDLE  DETAILS  IN  A WAY  TO  EX-  * 
PEDITE  ORDERS  AND  BUILD  SALES;  AND  IMPRESS  UPON  EACH  INDIVID - % 
UAL  IN  MY  DEPARTMENT  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  HIS  OR  HER  WORK  IN  \ 
THE  ORGANIZATION  SCHEME? 

39  —DO  I STIMULATE  AND  MANAGE  THE  EMPLOYES  I DIRECT,  TO  THE  END  ■ 

THAT  THEIR  ENTHUSIASM  WILL  EASILY  BRING  COOPERATION  IN  HAN- 
DLING SALES  DEPARTMENT  ROUTINE  AND  CREATIVE  WORK? 

40  —DO  I PERCEIVE  THAT  I WILL  BE  FREE  FOR  CREATIVE  PLANNING  ONLY 

BY  MAKING  THOSE  I DIRECT  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  THEIR  PARTICULAR 
DUTIES , AND  HOLDING  MYSELF  IN  A POSITION  TO  DIRECT  AND  ADVISE 
AT  THOSE  TIMES  WHEN  DECISION  AND  INITIATIVE  OF  A HIGHER  ORDER 
IS  NEEDED? 

41—2)0  I MEASURE  MY  ABILITY  AS  AN  EXECUTIVE  BY  THE  TEAM  SPIRIT  f 
OF  THOSE  I DIRECT,  AND  BY  THE  EXTENT  TO  WHICH  I AM  ABLE  TO  1 
GET  THE  COOPERATION  I NEED  AND  WANT? 

42  —DO  I KEEP  IN  TOUCH  WITH  THE  TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENT  IN  ORDER  THAT  \ 
DELAYS  AND  MISTAKES  IN  SHIPPING  GOODS  MAY  BE  AVOIDED? 

43.— DO  I APPRECIATE  THAT  THE  STANDING  OF  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT 
SUFFERS  WHEN  THEIR  DEFINITE  PROMISES  OF  DELIVERY  OF  MER- 
CHANDISE ARE  NOT  CARRIED  OUT  BY  THE  FIRM,  AND  THAT  THIS  TO  A . 
DEGREE  LESSENS  THEIR  CONFIDENCE  IN  ME,  CAUSING  THEM  TO  THINK 
THAT  I AM  NEGLECTING  OR  IGNORING  THEIR  INTERESTS? 

44— DO  I HAVE  A CLEAR  UNDERSTANDING  WITH  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT , , 

AS  TO  HOW  LONG  AN  ORDER  CAN  BE  “ STORED " BY  THE  HOUSE,  SO  THAT 
THERE  WILL  BE  NO  MISUNDERSTANDING  WITH  CUSTOMERS  OVER  GOODS 
SHIPPED  AHEAD  OF  TIME? 

45 . —WHEN  GOODS  CANNOT  BE  SHIPPED  AT  THE  PROMISED  TIME,  DO  I NOTIFY 

BOTH  SALESMAN  AND  CUSTOMER,  SO  THAT  NO  CAUSE  FOR  COMPLAINT 
WILL  BE  GIVEN  EITHER  PARTY? 

46. — DO  I KNOW  THAT  A SALE  IS  ONLY  A SALE  WHEN  THE  HOUSE  CAN  SHIP 

THE  GOODS  EXACTLY  AS  ORDERED  AND  ON  TIME,  AND  THAT  A CUSTOMER 
DOES  NOT  FEEL  OBLIGED  TO  HOLD  UP  HIS  END  OF  THE  AGREEMENT,  UN- 
LESS THE  HOUSE  ALSO  SHOWS  AN  APPRECIATION  OF  ITS  RESPONSIBILI- 
TIES? 

47. — DO  I COOPERATE  CLOSELY  WITH  THE  TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENT  SO  THAT 

THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  WILL  NOT  HAVE  CAUSE  FOR  A “SLUMP"  OF 
CONFIDENCE  IN  THE  HOUSE,  BUT  WILL  FIND  THAT  THEY  CAN  DEPEND 
UPON  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVING  GOODS  IN  DUE  SEASON  FOR  RE-SALE  OR 
GENERAL  UTILITY? 

48. — DO  I UTILIZE  THIS  SET  OF  BROCHURES  AS  A MEANS  OF  OBTAINING 

VIEWPOINTS  AND  SUGGESTIONS,  CONSIDERING  THIS  FIRST  BOOKLET  AS 
A GENERAL  SUMMARY  OF  THE  SEVEN  DEFINITE  FACTORS  THAT  I,  AS  A 
SALES  MANAGER,  MUST  TAKE  INTO  CONSIDERATION  IN  HANDLING  THE 
SALES  OFFICE  FORCE,  THE  SALESMEN  I DIRECT  AND  THE  TERRITORY? 


